[Between "play" and "playing"--exploring the identifying base of play].
Up to the present, the majority of theories regarding play were grounded on the perspective of the observer rather than the perspective of the person engaged in play. When viewing the figure of someone playing, however, no one can draw the conclusion that the person "is playing". This is because play can be identified solely by the awareness of the player absorbed in play. Nevertheless, this awareness varies infinitely according to the individual. Moreover, when the player is absorbed in play but is not conscious that s/he is playing, strictly speaking, the activity cannot defined as play. To identify play, we regard both the player's playing awareness itself and the self-awareness of being engaged in play as indispensable elements. Furthermore, these two forms of awareness should be discussed, not by enclosing them within the player's individual mind, but from the standpoint of a relationship of mutual compensation through continuous interchange between the player and others. The theory of play can approach the real image of play only by extracting the modality of these forms of awareness.
Aoki
J
J
D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*; D011582:Psychological Theory; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012649:Self Concept